We have had the great fortune of teaming up with The Spa Hotel to help create this wonderful outdoor space in the historic town of Tunbridge Wells.

The Spa Hotel is set in 14 acres of beautiful grounds close to the centre of historic Royal Tunbridge Wells in England, the spa town from which its name is derived. The hotel first opened in 1880 and since then has built a reputation for quintessential British style, sophistication, and fine dining.

The historic Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells, UK

The Spa Hotel has a long-established history in the town, and with its recent refurbishment, it provides a luxurious location to stay, dine and for weddings and events. With 70 rooms, an award-winning restaurant and a new, contemporary Bar and Brasserie, there is plenty for guests to enjoy.

As part of the refurbishment of the hotel, The Spa Hotel have just launched the Spa Temple and new outdoor entertainment area. The Spa Temple is a beautiful piece of design from our friends at Chilstone, providing a focal point in this picturesque outdoor setting and a wonderful place to say “I do”.

We are thrilled to see a little bit of Canada in this picturesque British setting. The Spa Hotel has incorporated our Hemi fire pit with metal drinks ring into this beautiful British countryside setting. The Hemi is our signature fire pit and is popular in both commercial and residential settings. The Spa Hotel has incorporated the Hemi into the new Temple, mirroring its sculptural curves with the architecture of the building.

The Hemi is available in three sizes, ten different colours and a choice of three different fuel options; including Natural Gas, Liquid Propane, and Bioethanol making it adaptable for any outdoor setting. We also have a range of accessories to customize your fire pit including the metal drinks ring seen pictured here.

Solus Decor launch a new metal table top and fire ring as part of their accessory range for 2018

Solus Decor launched the new metal table top as part of their gas fire pit accessories range at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London last month. The new metal table top is part of the growing accessories range from Solus Decor’s contemporary outdoor fire pit range, providing additional function to the outdoor fire pits.

New Metal Fire Ring on Hemi Fire Pit at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

New Metal Table Top and Fire Ring

These tops come in two styles. The metal ring tops are designed to fit a Hemi 36″ or 48″ fire pit and the top for the Hemi 26″ is disc shaped without a ring. The centre of the ring top removes so the fire pit can be lit, leaving a ring table that can be used for drinks, perfect for outdoor entertaining.

Solus Metal Table Top with Fire Ring for Hemi firepit

Solus Decor Hemi Gas Firebowl Firepit with metal drinks ring. Also available as a metal table top. Shown on the terrace at Predator Ridge Resort Canada. Ideal when not used as a fire pit.

Solus Decor Hemi with fire ring

Our new metal table top and fire ring is constructed from noncorrosive aluminum and stainless steel. Like all Solus Decor products it is designed to be outside and withstand the elements.

The aluminum is hard anodized to create a scratch resistant surface that is integral to the aluminum itself. The dual purpose design and material is ideal for both commercial and residential environments.

You can get in contact with us find out more about Solus Decor’s accessories for existing products and the full range of Solus Decor’s fire and water products. We can help you find the perfect product for your commercial and residential outdoor space.

This year we are excited to launch a new Linear fire pit. This new Solus gas firepit is 6ft in length and can be used as single height or stacked for double height. Either composition will have an impact in your outdoor space.

Solus Décor Linear Gas Firepit. Suitable for backyards or commercial spaces. Showcasing at HDExpo 2018. The new design is the result of the talented Solus team’s dedication, vision and many man hours put in to produce an innovative and contemporary design. It is unmistakably Solus.

Are you are looking to make an impact with your entrance? Or a design statement with a modern fire pit for a restaurant or hotel terrace. The Linear can provide semi-private areas when double height, or a divide areas for dining and drinks. It will also provide warmth and atmosphere but not take up valuable seating space. Made in Vancouver, Canada and shipped all over the world. Hence the Solus Linear firepit could be ideal for your restaurant, hotel or other commercial needs.

Solus Décor Hemi Gas Firebowl Firepit. With metal drinks ring. Also available as a metal table top. Shown on the terrace at Predator Ridge Resort Canada. Ideal when not used as a fire pit.

Made out of noncorrosive aluminum and stainless steel which compliments the concrete material of the fire pit. The Hemi with drinks ring provides a sculptural fire bowl design, along with somewhere for guests to put drinks. The table top turns a fire pit into a multi-use product. A modern, unusual table that also protects the gas burners when not in use.

HD Expo is the premier trade show and conference for the hospitality industry. The show has been running since 1992 and is presented by Hospitality Design magazine and today it remains at the forefront of the hospitality industry offering the newest and most innovative products. The conference is an opportunity for those in the industry to share ideas and provide inspiration by connecting with other hospitality professionals.

On our booth, we will of course be displaying and demonstrating a selection of our best-selling fire pits and water features alongside the new additions to our collection. If you are visiting this year, please come and see us and our products on booth 1874. We look forward to meeting you.

A scholarship and courtyard renovation honor the life of Jordan Thiessen.

A very special fire pit was installed at the Trinity Western University in British Columbia. It is in memory of the life of Jordan Thiessen who was a student at the university. During his time at the university Jordan felt that the unloved and uncared for Douglas Courtyard could be a beautiful space. With some planting and a fire pit it would offer a place for students to relax and enjoy on campus. Something he shared with his parents during a campus visit.

When Jordan sadly lost his life on October 18 2012, just 12 days after he married his university sweetheart, the family wanted to do something in his memory. His parents, Shirley and Carey set up the Jordan Thiessen Memorial Scholarship endowment but they wanted to do more. They recognized the deep impact that the University had on Jordan’s short life. They felt that making over the Douglas courtyard would not only honor Jordan, but it would also benefit all future students. Shirley threw herself into raising funds for both the scholarship and the courtyard project. The Jordan Thiessen Memorial Courtyard was dedicated September 14, 2013. On what would have been Jordan’s 24th birthday.

Hemi Fire Pit at Jordan Thiessen Memorial Garden at Trinity Western University

The memorial garden is now a wonderful place for students to enjoy, which gives great pleasure to Jordan’s parents. If you would like to give to the courtyard project, or to the Jordan Thiessen Memorial Scholarship, please email Shirley Thiessen at shirley.thiessen@twu.ca.

Solus Firepits for Commercial Projects

Solus provides quality commercial grade firepits for hotels, restaurants, resorts and other commercial locations. Our firepits have the best warranty in the business and outstanding in-house customer service. We ship in museum quality containers almost anywhere in the world. We have CAD drawings for all of our designs and regularly assist architects, designers and developers in specifying a Solus firepit for commercial projects. Contact us to discuss your project.

There are many things to consider when designing the space and making a firepit a main feature.

DESIGN

This may seem obvious, but you really don’t want to be moving the firepit around the area – it is much easier to move the furniture than the firepit.

FUEL SOURCE

One consideration is the fuel source that will be used. Will it be natural gas, liquid propane, bio-fuel, wood burning? There are pros and cons to all of them. Operating costs, fuel refilling, clean up (or none) and maintenance are all things to think about.

If you are designing the space from scratch and have the ability to run a gas pipe, do so even if you haven’t selected the fire pit yet. Even if you opt for a bio fuel or wood burner, it will allow for future placement of a gas unit before you place your pavers, decking or tile.

SAFETY

Consider children. How does the firepit operate? What safety concerns are there? How is it kept unlit when adults are not about?

MULT-FUNCTIONALITY

A good thing to consider is multi-functionality. Could the firepit be used as a table when not in use as a fire pit? This could possibly replace the need for a coffee table in your design.

LOCAL FIRE CODE

Consider the local fire code. Not all fire pits are created equally. Many states, provinces and counties require the entire fire pit to be certified as an appliance, not just having a certified burner. Most burners these days are certified, but once installed into a custom built brick pit they become uncertified. If longevity is important – consider the warranty.

IGNITION SYSTEMS

There are a number of ignition systems to consider which include: Manual lit ignition, Manual lit with flame supervision, Electronic ignition and electronic ignition with adjustable flame. There is also the high-tech option of the smart home kit. Our sales team would be happy to explain these different options in further detail along with how they can best suit your design.

RESALE VALUE

Consider the resale value – even if you are not planning to move or sell, fire pits have been (and continue to remain) one of the top three desired features of all outdoor landscape projects alongside lighting and dining.

Our feature project is a look back at a fantastic redevelopment in the Noe Valley area of San Fancisco as featured in Dwell.

A tech industry couple made the decision to make the move from Palo Alto to seek out a new life in San Francisco. They were keen to create a contemporary property that could take on their style and smart technology that encompasses their day to day lives. After much searching they eventually found the right property in the Noe Valley area of San Francisco but it needed considerable work to make their dream a reality. In order to make their dream a reality they called on architect Christi Azevedo. Christi is a San Fancisco based architect with an impressive portfolio with an eclectic mix of property styles who is well know in the San Francisco area for her expertise in giving worn out houses a new lease of life. The property in Noa Valley was a compartmentalized 1970s style property and Christi Azevedo transformed the property into an open plan living space with an emphasis on indoor outdoor living, by careful focus on the materials used both indoors and outdoors.

San Francisco Project by Christi AzevedoExterior of San Francisco project by Christi Azevedo

The external facade of the building was transformed by the use cedar boards that were charred using the ancient Japanese art of shou sugi ban. The couple researched the technique extensively, and even considered doing it themselves, before Azevedo convinced them to outsource the job to a Texas studio, Delta Millworks. The couple were thrilled with the results and love the contemporary back drop this creates for the outdoor living space that is opened up fully thanks to the installation of bifold doors. To complete the renovation of the exterior the rear patio was raised to bring in line with the level of the kitchen and the original redwood decking was reused and supplemented with recycled pieces from other projects. The couple added a Solus Hemi fire pit to complete this well designed outdoor living space. The couple selected the cinder finish to compliment the overall color scheme to the external facade.

Exterior with Hemi fire pit as featured in Dwell

The Hemi fire bowl creates a contemporary focal point to an outdoor seating area, and ideal spot to relax in the evening as the sun goes down and perfect for the weather in San Francisco, ensuring that the indoor outdoor living space can be used all year round even in the cooler months of the year. Available in three sizes to suit any space these round, concrete fire pits add heat, atmosphere and simple beauty. Our ‘cross-jet’ and ethanol burners provide ample flames and are built to last. As with all of our fire pits, Hemi 26, 36 and 48 are fully certified and come with warranties on parts and performance.

Hemi Fire Pit in Cinder

We are thrilled to see our fire pit featured in such a sensational design, to find out more about the project read the full article on Dwell. To find out more about the Hemi fire bowl or any of our other project get in touch.

Solus Firepits for Commercial Projects

Solus provides quality commercial grade firepits for hotels, restaurants, resorts and other commercial locations. Our firepits have the best warranty in the business and outstanding in-house customer service. We ship in museum quality containers almost anywhere in the world. We have CAD drawings for all of our designs and regularly assist architects, designers and developers in specifying a Solus firepit for commercial projects. Contact us to discuss your project.

If you haven’t already planned your Valentine’s Day forget the traditional roses and chocolates and whisk your loved one away for a romantic hotel stay.

Over the years Solus Decor have worked with many hotels to make their outdoor spaces a real talking point with the addition of one of our fire pits, which add warmth and lighting and in turn can’t help but create the perfect romantic setting. In honor of Valentine’s day we have put together a selection of our favorite hotels with the picture-perfect fireside setting to share with someone special.

Loews Hotel, Santa Monica, California

If you are looking to relax and unwind you can’t go wrong with the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. We love these romantic poolside cabana rooms. Each cabana room comes with their very own fire pit to create the perfect ambiance for a romantic evening. Enjoy the privacy of your cabana room whilst still having all the great restaurants and bars that Santa Monica has to offer and don’t forget the romantic sunset stroll on the beach!

Loews Hotel, Santa Monica

Loews Hotel, Santa Monica

Loews Hotel, Santa Monica

Hotel Eastlund, Portland

Why not indulge yourself with some sleek city sophistication at the Hotel Eastlund in Portland. The Hotel Eastlund offers roof top views of the the city with our firepits to keep you warm while you enjoy a cocktail on the roof terrace and if you fancy seeing more than just the views you can venture out and explore the vibrant city of Portland. Portland is a hub of arts and culture and with the great selection of restaurants and bars you won’t be disappointed.

Hotel Eastlund, Portland

Hotel Eastlund, Portland

Hotel Eastlund, Portland

Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vanvouver

For something a little extra special why not treat yourself to some luxury in our home town at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver. We are a little biased but we think the chairman’s suite is the perfect location for a romantic break with our Hemi Fire bowl taking prime position on the private terrace. The hotel has exquisite dining, a great cocktail bar, spa and with rooms like this you can’t go wrong.

Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

If you’d like to create your very own romantic fireside setting at home get in touch with use to find our more about our fire pits.

Solus Decor Relocation

After many happy years at 1445 Powell Street in Vancouver we are relocating to a much larger facility at 109 Braid Street with a mix of emotions. We have many happy memories from Powell Street looking back at what we have achieved and seeing how the fire and water features have developed. However, we are hugely excited about 2017 and the additional space at Powell Street allowing the team to have greater space and efficiency for the manufacture of our fire and water features. All our products are made from hand cast concrete, a skilled technique requiring specialist equipment and an accomplished team to manage all aspects of the processes.

Solus Decor Renovation

The Renovation of the new facility has been spearheaded by our General Manager Gam Yeo who has given the same attention to the renovation and relocation as he does with our fire and water features on a day to day basis. The relocation and greater space has enabled us to invest in new equipment, which in most cases have been custom made for Solus Decor products.

Customized Hopper

Our custom hopper above is for pouring concrete, this hopper will significantly increase our efficiency in pouring. It can hold enough concrete for up to four 36’’ Hemi Fire Bowls, whilst providing our pouring team with much improved ergonomics.

Click to find out more about our Hemi Fire Pits

One of the big changes in the new facility is the new push rack system, but what are the benefits of a push rack system?

New push rack system

Exceptional use of space, eliminating unnecessary aisles – good use of space is good, green thinking!

Allows for both selectivity and dense storage

More picking face locations

Fewer moving mechanical parts

Accommodates all pallet sizes

Allows us to rack, cure and store 560 units in a footprint of 40 feet x 70 feet

It’s safe to say we are looking forward to an exciting 2017 in a new location, working with our customers on their own renovation projects.

Click here to get in touch and see how we can help you with your own renovation project.

About 3 million outdoor firepits/fireplaces are installed every year in North America according to the Hearth Patio & Barbeque Association, as part of an overall trend toward more extensive outdoor living spaces”

Reinforcing this growing popularity is the results from a recent Residential Landscape Architecture trends survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects, which found that fire pits are the 3rd most popular outdoor feature after lighting and dining.

“Homeowners know that designed landscapes add value to their lives as well as their property values,” said ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA. “They’re interested in livable, open spaces that are both stylish and earth friendly.”

When considering a firepit you can expect to see a range of costs – from a few hundred dollars for a small portable fire pit that will last for a few years, to a few thousand for a luxurious fire pit that makes an architectural statement and will be a permanent feature of your home. There are also several fuel options for your fire pit – such as natural gas, propane or ethanol (bio fuel).

The convenience of natural gas or propane gas fire pits are well known. In many communities wood burners are either not allowed or banned during many parts of the year that you would probably want to be outside by a fire. The mess a wood burner creates can be substantial.

Other considerations include non combustible clearances to overhangs, the amount of heat you may or may not need and how your outdoor seating may interact with the firepit.

Like fireplaces, there are numerous questions about firepits and a Solus Decor Design Consultant would be happy to assist you with your project.

The goal was to build an oasis of a deck that Anne and Paul could enjoy their retirement on. Thus, it would be a no-brainer to include a Solus firebowl that adds an artistic architectural element to any outdoor space. We think Paul Lafrance did a stunning job making the Hemi firebowl the focal point of this beautifully designed deck, which will now provide warmth and ambiance throughout their golden years.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE HEMI 36″ FIREBOWL

The Hemi firebowl creates an instant gathering place for relaxed conversations, dining atmosphere or backyard campfire marshmallows. (Yes, you can actually roast marshmallows on them!). In addition to their beauty, they are a wise choice for a deck one has invested in as they are built to withstand the extreme climates of Canadian weather due to them being made of our ultra high performance concrete which is unique to Solus.

ALL SOLUS FIRE PITS ARE CSA CERTIFIED

Unlike many fire pits on the market, all Solus fire pits are CSA certified as appliances (not just burners) to match new regulations in BC, ON and AB.